A Strange Look at Life...

I bought my copy of Red Dirt Marijuana & Other Tastes many years ago from a second-hand bookstore in NY. It was my introduction to Terry Southern. There’s something immediately likeable about it as a book; from the cover art, through the various reviews and endorsements of the first few pages to the stories themselves. It doesn’t try too hard to impress. Instead, it feels like you’re spending time with someone who’s seen a lot, heard a lot, and has a unique and open-eyed way of seeing the world around him – which, in Southern’s case, is true. He spent time in places like post-war London, Paris, and New York during a period of big cultural change, mixing with writers, musicians, and artists – earning a degree in philosophy along the way.

The stories are a mixed bag, which works in the book’s favour. Some are funny, some are odd, and a few just drift along. But even when the narrative feels a bit loose, Southern’s unique voice keeps things interesting. His writing feels close to how people actually speak, with a dry, understated humour that is engaging and natural.

The title story, ‘Red Dirt Marijuana’, is grounded in a very specific kind of American setting: dusty, sensory, and offbeat, with an exploration of cultural hierarchies and the interplay of age. ‘You’re Too Hip, Baby’, set in the 1950’s jazz scene, is full of deadpan prose and dark humour, poking fun at those who try too hard to appear cool or different. A lot of the collection, though, is just Southern letting his imagination run. In 'The Sun and the Still born Stars', a farmer becomes fixated on catching more fish than he needs – a corruption of the American Dream. Another, ‘The Face of the Arena’, is a satire on the world of bullfighting – a critique on the absurdity of the sport rather than the usual image of the death-defying matador.

Not every story sticks the landing. A few feel more like ideas than fully developed pieces, and if you’re someone who likes clean, structured plots, this might not always hit the mark. But that doesn’t seem to be the point here. Southern is more interested in moments and characters than tidy endings. He pokes fun at people and situations, but there’s also a sense that he’s in on the joke himself.

Reading this collection now it still holds up. The settings and references might feel tied to a certain time (it was first published in 1967). But the ideas of loneliness, love, and trying to make sense of things will always be relevant.

In the end, Red Dirt Marijuana & Other Tastes is enjoyable in a relaxed, unpretentious way. It’s the kind of book you pick up for a story or two, put down, and then come back to later – mainly because you want to hear what Southern has to say next. As Norman Mailer notes on the back cover ‘Terry Southern writes a mean, coolly deliberate, and murderous prose.’